Wanchain 2023 and Beyond
Last updated
Last updated
Wanchain has always believed that achieving blockchain interoperability is a collective effort. This does not only imply collaboration between different projects, but collaboration with you, the community, as well. A roadmap keeps the community informed of project developments, builds trust, increases credibility, and strengthens community relations. This kind of transparency also leads to better decision making.
However, uncertainty is a hallmark of research and development. This can make it difficult to predict outcomes and timelines with a high degree of accuracy. Projects that pride themselves on pushing the limits of technical complexity often encounter challenges that can take longer than anticipated to solve. Because of this, R&D-focused projects like Wanchain can sometimes be reluctant to publish comprehensive public roadmaps with strict deadlines. This is why the Wanchain team has decided to publish a general roadmap without itemised deadlines. The goal is to keep the community abreast of Wanchain’s progression and direction.
The following outlines Wanchain’s key areas of development and strategic focus for 2023 and beyond:
Wanchain remains unwavering in its mission to drive blockchain adoption through interoperability. It is therefore no surprise that the bulk of the team’s R&D efforts will be directed towards this goal.
Wanchain’s cross-chain infrastructure has already proven itself as being amongst the very best that the blockchain industry has to offer. Research is underway to infuse Wanchain’s cross-chain infrastructure with Zero Knowledge (ZK) technology (🤫🔒🌉). ZK technology proves knowledge of something without revealing any information about it, except for the fact that it is true. This ZK upgrade will guarantee strong security without any external assumptions while simultaneously reducing on-chain verification costs.
Wanchain’s development team includes some of the industry’s most accomplished Solidity developers. The team’s familiarity with Solidity has made integrating new EVM networks a simple affair. While Solidity is undoubtedly the blockchain industry’s most widely used programming language, there are other programming languages of note such as Haskell, used by Cardano, and Move, used by blockchains like Sui and Aptos (🆕💻🔠). Over the past several years, Wanchain has earned a reputation for enabling interoperability between EVM and non-EVM networks, such as Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Litecoin, the Polkadot Relay Chain and the XRP Ledger. Wanchain is continuing down this path with planned integrations for top heterogeneous networks such as Cardano, Cosmos, Stellar, Tezos and more (👾🌉👽).
While Wanchain’s cross-chain infrastructure can already transfer messages from one chain to another, using this functionality outside the scope of Wanchain’s own bridges requires a relatively profound understanding of the inner-workings of Wanchain’s interoperability solutions. Wanchain is now working on a standalone protocol designed to allow any developer to easily pass lightweight messages and arbitrary data across chains (⚔️⛓️📩).
Blockchain sidechains and Layer 2 networks are two ways of addressing a Layer 1 blockchain’s interoperability and scalability issues (📈⚙️🔧). For those unfamiliar, sidechains are separate networks that are attached to an underlying blockchain using a two-way peg and are great for implementing new features. Layer 2 networks are built on top of a base Layer 1 blockchain to handle transactions off-chain while preserving the security of the underlying Layer 1 blockchain. Both can lead to the creation of new use cases and applications that were not possible before. Wanchain and IOG already announced that work was underway for the Wanchain blockchain to serve as an EVM-compatible sidechain to Cardano. This project continues to evolve and the feasibility of positioning the Wanchain blockchain as an EVM-compatible Layer 2 to Cardano is being evaluated. Once complete, the Wanchain’s blockchain will also serve as an EVM-compatible interoperability and scaling solution to other non-EVM chains like XRPL.
While Wanchain’s legacy will be defined by cutting-edge R&D, technical expertise and academic contributions, forward-facing products are just as important as they provide a direct line of communication with you and make it possible to understand your needs, preferences, and pain points.
Some assets, like Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC, are minted natively on multiple blockchains. Historically, users have needed to rely on centralised exchanges to move these assets from one blockchain network to another. Wanchain recently launched XFlows, a novel decentralised alternative to move assets between blockchains where they are natively minted. XFlows leverage the power of Wanchain’s cross-chain bridges to provide easy, non-custodial transfers between chains with no long waits, no slippage and no fees (✖️🌊🌊). Wanchain will continue to promote and expand XFlows by launching the product on new networks and supporting a greater variety of assets such as BTC, ETH and more.
The Wanchain ecosystem is supported by two types of nodes: PoS Nodes that secure and validate transactions on the Wanchain Layer 1 blockchain, and Bridge Nodes that secure and validate transactions on the Wanchain bridge. Until now, the only way for people to deploy or delegate to nodes was to use Wanchain’s Desktop or Mobile wallets. XStake gives this important functionality a web-based interface, increasing the accessibility, compatibility, and useability of the Wanchain ecosystem’s most reliable staking options. Using XStake, users can use any EVM-wallet, including Metamask, to deploy nodes and stake assets. A later version of XStake will eventually introduce additional staking opportunities (✖️💻🌱).
A well-designed UX has the potential to enhance user engagement and generate positive word-of-mouth. It directly impacts how users perceive, interact and engage with a particular product or application. There are a couple pillars of the Wanchain ecosystem that are due to receive complete makeovers.
The primary front-end for accessing Wanchain’s cross-chain bridges is currently receiving a total facelift. This new design will not only improve the user experience but will also strive to surface more interesting and oft-requested data points such as volume for specific bridge routes (🆕🌉👀).
WanScan will also undergo a transformative redesign that will combine the widely accepted Etherscan layout with additional functionality in support of the Wanchain blockchain’s unique cross-chain and privacy features (🆕🔗🔍).
Empowering the community is important as it creates a sense of ownership and belonging to a project. An empowered community encourages participation, collaboration, and innovation. Ultimately, an empowered community ensures the long-term sustainability and growth of a project.
Community-run projects promote innovation and foster collaboration. By incubating community projects — including but not limited to decentralised applications and the WanDAO — the entire Wanchain ecosystem is poised to benefit from the creativity and expertise of Wanchain’s diverse community (👥💡🐣). If you have a project idea that you’re passionate about, no matter how big or small, don’t hesitate to contact a member of the Wanchain team! Take the first step and bring your vision to life!
Academic research provides the foundation for developing new technologies, allowing projects like Wanchain to push the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of blockchain interoperability.
In collaboration with the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance and other industry partners, Wanchain will continue to work on standardising cross-chain communications and blockchain interoperability (🎓📏🤝). This involves formalising conceptual frameworks, identifying salient technical and security challenges, and defining protocol architecture and specifications to drive standardisation and adoption.
Academic seminars provide a forum for scholars to share their research, exchange ideas and receive feedback. Wanchain’s VP of Engineering, Dr. Weijia Zhang, and the rest of the Wanchain R&D team will continue to regularly attend and present at seminars around the world (🧠🤝🔬).
Regional hubs are important for decentralised projects as they provide a physical presence in key markets, making it easier to respond to changing local needs and demands. Regional hubs can also help foster relationships with local stakeholders, which can be critical for the long-term success of a project. Wanchain is establishing a small handful of regional hubs with academic and industrial partners around the world. These hubs will double as local headquarters for Wanchain (🗺️📍🏢).
Wanchain, the Wide Area Network chain, has long been at the forefront of blockchain interoperability. From launching the industry’s first decentralised cross-chain bridge, to deploying the first direct bridge connecting Bitcoin and Ethereum, to more recent innovations like NFT bridges and XFlows, Wanchain is a true trailblazer of the blockchain industry.
With proven R&D-focused projects like Wanchain, one of the most exciting aspects is that there is always the opportunity to uncover uncharted territories, discover innovative solutions, break down barriers and push the boundaries of what is possible. The developments outlined above provide a taste of what’s to come, but it’s also important to remember that a host of surprises are still waiting to be unveiled (➕➕➕). With exciting new developments on the horizon, Wanchain’s original vision of blockchain interoperability is closer than ever and it is clear that the best is yet to come.
Get involved with the Wanchain community of developers, users and ambassadors by joining us on Telegram and by following Wanchain on Twitter. We are all connected.
